Writerly Ways and a big YAY

[cornerofmadness]

First the yay, I sold Mysterious Spirit to Dreamspinner press. This was the B&D fantasy homoerotic short story. It'll be one of their napsize dreams (or something like that.) Thanks to evil_little_dog, mjules and my original fiction filter for being the first readers and for the market suggestions.

Setting as a point of view

This was something writers' digest was going on about but I didn't really like their examples. However,I think it's something to consider. I'm weak at it. No doubt of that in my mind. I used to be better. Writers groups are often a very good thing but when they get the destructive people in them they become less so. There are two types of these people, the one who tromps like Godzilla. Frankly they're easy to ignore. You know they're just getting off on demeaning people. THe second is the insidious one who does sound like they're trying to help until you stand back and look at the pattern. The latter happened to me. It damaged my descriptive ability.

So how do you handle your settings? Do you think you do them well? Do you think you blop it all out at the beginning in too much detail then never see it again (that's me)? Can you picture it in your head? Or not (also me all too often). Got any tricks to handling it. We'd love to hear (we had a good discussion last weekend...well, I thought so. People are probably sitting there thinking, bitch...)

Try an exercise in just giving the setting. The only trick I have it to avoid the It was.... it looks... passiveness.

116830 / 175000 words. 67% done!

Comments

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

First, CONGRATS. That's so cool! *beams*

I got a great compliment earlier today on one of my fanfics saying that my description was perfect, because the reader could see and feel and sense everything going on around the characters. Much yay.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks.

cool. so share tips already

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Aw ,geeze....

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that isn't sharing. Points to rahirah

[lejlkwiet.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's wonderful, congratulations!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[rahirah]

I try to do a little initial description if I'm setting a scene, and then sneak in more as I go along. If it's a place that most of my readers are already familiar with, I do less initial setup, but I still try to incorporate some details for the readers that may not be as familiar.

I can usually envision my settings pretty clearly. I tend to see scenes plaing out like little movies in my head, with full color, sound, smell, etc, and a running commentary of the characters' thought and feelings. The trick is paring all that down to the important bits and not swamping the reader with detail.

[rahirah]

Like for example:

The bell on the Magic Box door gave a discordant jangle as Buffy slammed into the shop. She brushed past a gawky teenage boy engaged in a furtive inspection of love potions (Buy One, Get An Equal Or Lesser Romantic Obsession Free!), causing the would-be warlock to backpedal into a rack of discount incense packets. She stalked over to the front counter, and smacked a tarnished metal disc down on the blotter. "Question, first of many - what exactly is this?"

Anya picked up the disc and examined the counter to see if Buffy had put any scratches in the mahogany. She flipped the disc over, glanced at the cryptic markings, and shrugged, turning back to the cash register. "Not a clue."

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

nice. i like that and it's not the least bit static

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that sounds very good. I wish i could see my scenes more clearly. I hear dialogue very clearly but i don't see the scenes quite as easily. I'm far more auditory than visual (which is probably why I like traditional classes over internet ones)

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I am terrible at settings. It's one of my biggest problems.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

same here

[marlex.livejournal.com]

Describing settings has already been the hardest part for me. Usually I'll write the conversation, because that usually comes to me first, and then go back and add in the descriptions layer by layer until it feels right. I guess it's more like painting than writing, but it's works for me most of the time.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

to be honest, this is how i do it too and not always successfully

[mulzrule.livejournal.com]

There's some major squeeing going on here right now. Congrats on the sell! *does happy dance*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks muchly

[enemytosleep]

Can I just stop in and say Roy is absolutely adorable in your icon?

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

you can. ROy loves hearing it

[leni-ba.livejournal.com]

Congrats on the sell!!! *cheers*

Usually I forget about setting. Inside or outside, grass of hardfloor, add a couple adjectives (dirty, cluttered, homey, etc) and I'm good to go. Then there are the times when I draw a map - complete with furniture - before dropping the characters in.

I'm more prone to fretting over facial expressions, body language and OMG, I can waste 5 minutes wondering where the characters' hands should go. *headdesk*

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

I tend to overuse what people's eyes are doing too.

[sillymagpie.livejournal.com]

Hooray on the sale!

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thanks

[cala-jane.livejournal.com]

Congratulation on selling the story! YAAY

And yes, you are seeing it right, I am commenting. Part of my resolutions for new academic year :)

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

thank you.

ha, good luck with that

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I'm fairly good at mixing setting into the story, but I tend to be a little too sparse at it -- part of my newspaper background, I suppose.

[cornerofmadness.livejournal.com]

that could be. I do tend to find that in general men are more sparse and often prefer it that way, at least in the writers groups I've been in

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

I think you're right -- as we've discussed before, many readers can tell male writers from female ones.